The decade-long fight to protect Juristac—a sacred and ecologically vital site in Santa Clara County—from harmful development threats has gained powerful momentum with two wins in recent months.
Juristac holds profound cultural and spiritual significance as a ceremonial center for the Amah Mutsun people, where they hosted healing rituals for thousands of years. It is also an ecological treasure—a vital wildlife corridor that connects the Santa Cruz, Diablo, and Gabilan mountain ranges.
This landscape is being threatened by an open-pit sand and gravel mine proposal called Sargent Ranch Quarry that would pose irreparable damage to the sacred and biodiverse landscape. The developers’ proposal would desecrate sacred lands, fragment habitats, and disrupt one of the last intact wildlife corridors in the region. The fight to protect Juristac is a fight to preserve not only cultural heritage but also environmental integrity and a climate-resilient future.
Powerful Momentum
On December 2, 2024, the City of Palo Alto became the seventh city in the region to formally announce their support to protect Juristac, joining Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Santa Cruz. The resolution opposing the quarry passed unanimously at the December City Council meeting, which was led by Mayor Greer Stone and Councilwoman Lydia Kou. Their arguments, rooted in cultural respect and environmental responsibility, are a call to action for all of us.
Mayor Stone highlighted the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band’s recent efforts to reintroduce the California condor. “It is shortsighted to try to recover a species only to turn around and destroy their habitat,” he said. A quarry at Juristac would do just that, threatening not only the condors but also mountain lions, red-legged frogs, and countless other species that rely on this corridor for survival. Learn more about the negative impacts of habitat fragmentation here.
The proposed quarry, with its three open pits and 1.6-mile long conveyor belt, would remove about 35 million cubic yards of soil from Juristac, pump 80,000 gallons of groundwater per day, and generate hundreds of daily truck trips along Highway 101 to transport the sand and gravel. That kind of impact would irreparably fragment this wildlife corridor and destroy the delicate balance of ecosystems that have thrived here for millennia.
At the City Council Meeting, Mayor Stone brought the council’s attention to the Lehigh Quarry in Cupertino, a site that operated for a century and amassed over 2,000 environmental violations in just the last decade. “Here we have the opportunity to stand up for the environment, to stand up for the Amah Mutsun tribe, to stand up for future generations who will likely look back and go, ‘I wish we had a chance to prevent that before it happened,’” said Palo Alto Mayor Greer at the meeting.
Earlier in October, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced they acquired 1,340-acre Pescadero Ranch, which comprises 20% of Juristac, for permanent preservation. This purchase represents a crucial step to ensuring this land is permanently protected.
A Continuous Effort
Since time immemorial, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band has stewarded Juristac, their most sacred site, which is central to their spiritual practices and cultural identity. Centuries of land dispossession forcibly removed the tribe from their ancestral lands, severing their direct connection to Juristac. Despite these injustices, the tribe has worked tirelessly to reestablish their presence and traditional stewardship of this land.
Greenbelt Alliance is proud to stand alongside the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Green Foothills, and other allies to continuously advocate for the preservation of this extraordinary site. These recent victories signal meaningful progress in the shared mission to safeguard Juristac, ensuring its legacy endures for generations to come.
Still, the work isn’t done. The County of Santa Clara is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the proposed sand and gravel mining operation. Once this document is finalized, a hearing before the Planning Commission will be scheduled.
We will continue to advocate for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Amah Mutsun, the survival of sensitive species, and the opportunity to honor the interconnectedness of people and the planet. Protecting Juristac is more than a cause: it’s a commitment to justice, biodiversity, and a sustainable future. Together, we can ensure this land remains a sanctuary for generations to come.
More Resources
As our planet faces increasing climate threats, it’s important to listen to those who have been caring for it the longest—indigenous people. Learn more about Traditional Ecological Knowledge on our Resilience Playbook.
Check out this interactive presentation created by the Amah Mutsun tribe to learn more about the wildlife of Juristac.
Photo Courtesy of Protect Juristac website.
